Slush remover



Feb. 13, 1923. 1,444,921

G.D.HUNTER SLUSH REMOVER Filed Oct. 51, 1919 Witness 7 K x?! 72 ePatented Feb. 113, 1923.

midi

stares A NT SL'USH REMOVER.

Application filed October 31, 1919. Serial No. 334,893.

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bloomin ton, in the county of Monroe and State of Tndiana,have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Slush Removers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in slush removing devices,particularly adapted for use in stone quarries and the like.

Heretofore, when using sluch removing devices it has been necessary toconstantly dilute the slush with an excessive quantlty of water toprevent the same from agglomerating and place it in such a thin state asto enable it to be discharged.

The use of this excessive supply of water naturally results in amaterial waste of time inasmuch as all liquid injected into slush mustbe removed and the services of an attendant, are constantly needed toenable the devices to be operated. For these reasons the prior artdevices have not been considered successful primarily because of theunnecessary waste of time and the cost of operation.

The present invention comprises a slush removing device of thefluid lifttype having means for permitting the slush to be constantly disturbed oragitated wlnle being removed to maintain the same in such a conditionsas to be carried by the lifting current from the quarry. p

In carrying out the invention the slush removing device has disposedtherein near the slush intake, a small jet opening permitting arelatively immaterial quantlty of the fluid lifting strealr passingtherethrou h under pressure to escape and agitate e slush to prevent thesame from thlckening ing. y disturbing the slush in this manner the sameis always maintained relatively thin and the lifting action of the fluidcurrent constantly creates the necessary suction to cause the slush tobe picked up and entrained therein and carried to a point of discharge.

From a more specific aspect the invention comprehends a device of thisgeneral character, of substantially U-shaped formation having a fluidinlet pipe and a slush discharge pipe. The fluid inlet pipe at its lowerend is formed with a restricted opening and is spaced from the slushdischarge pipe to provide the necesary slush. openor agglomeratingaround the intake open-.

ing at the lower portion of the device for the entrance of the slush tothe discharge p1pe. In close proximity to the slush discharge openingthere is disposed within the fluid feeding pipe a relatively small ventto enable a small quantity of the fiuidunder pressure to constantlyescape and thoroughly agitate the slush at or around the slash dischargeopening, so as to prevent the same from thickening. In the accompanyingdrawings I have disclosed a single embodiment of the invention, but thisdisclosure is merely made for the purpose of illustration and theconstruction may be modified in many respects without departing from thespirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation with a portion of the device broken away.Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and Figure 31s a view on the line 3--3 of Fi re 1.

eferring now more particularly to the drawmgs, wherein like referencecharacters indlcate corresponding parts, the numeral 1 designates theslush device, having the steam inlet pipe 2 formed at its upper end witha threaded portion 8 adapted to receive the coupling 4, by which thesteam pipe 5 leading from any suitable source of supply is united withthe pipe 2. While steam is preferably injected through the pipe 2 itwill be understood that other fluid currents may be employed, such asair or the like. The couplin' 4 is oppositely threaded at each end so tat [upon a rotation thereof the pipes 2 and 5 are firmly united to eachother. The steam. pipe 2 has a substantially straight porton and at itslower end is curved to form a hooked part 6. The extreme outer end ofthe pipe 2 is provided with a restricted steam discharge opening 7 whichacts on the principle of the usual venturi for increasing velocity ofthe steam passing therethrough.

Extending parallel to the straight portionof the pipe 2 is the slushdischarge conduit 8 preferably of a greater cross sectional area thanthe pipe 2 but reduced at its lower end by the insertion of the liner 9extending from the mouth of this conduit to a point approximately nearits center. It will be observed that the mouth of the conduit 8 isbeveled, as indicated by the reference character 10, and the same isspaced a slight distance from the restricted end portion of the hookedend 6 of the pipe 2. This is to provide an inlet for the slush that iscarried into the conduit 8 by the suction created due to the rapidpassage of the fluid current under ressure through the pipes 2 and 8.the entlre device acting on the principle of the well known lift pump.

The steam feeding pipe 2 and the slush discharge conduit 8 are held intheir pro er relative positions by the webs 11, two being shown for thepurpose of illustration, but manifestly any desired number may be used.These webs are welded or secured in any a proved manner to each of thepipes and aPwa s maintain them in a set positlon. It will e understoodthat the present device is rimarily intended for removing slush romstone uarries and the like, and the consistency 0 this slush varies. Ifthe slush is of a very thickened nature the fluid stream passing throughlthe device will not pick the same up and carry it to a point ofdischarge. It is therefore, entirely essential to the success uloperation of the device that a means be employed to always maintain theslush in such a thin state as to insure a rapid discharge of the samewhen the apparatus is in operation. It has been the general custom inthe use of the prior art slush removers to continually agitate thisslush by hand lafter an appreciable quantity of water has been injectedthereto to keep the slush from agglomerating. This manifestly requiresmuch laborand is an expensive operation that has heretofore beennecessary with all of the existing forms of removers. It is a primaryobject of this invention to provide a device wherein the fluid currentnot only acts to eject the slush, but also serves to agitate or disturbthe same at or near the entrance of the discharge conduit to prevent athickening of the slush. With this conception in mind there is disposedwithin the hooked end 6 of the feed ipe 2 a small vent opening 12through whic a ortion of the steam travelling at a high ve ocity throughthe ipe 2 passes, which steam, issues into the body of slush located atthe lower end of the device and constantly agitates the same so -as toprevent the slush from thickening. When the slush is in a thin state andsteam introduced to the pipe 2, the passage of steam through therestricted opening 7 and into the mouth of the conduit 10 creates asuction that lifts the relatively thin slush into the moving steamcurrent from where it is carried through the discharge pipe 13 connectedwith the conduit 8, to a suitable point of discharge.

To assist in preventin a thickening of the slush there is also attac edto the conduit 8 near its mouth portion a striking piece 14, thatextends between the conduit 8 and the feed pipe 2. This striking piece,in conjunction with the issuing steam passing through the vent opening,always prevents an improper thickening of the slush material that is tobemoved and overcomes the necessity of introducing a thinning agentthereto or stirring the same with an auxilary stirrer.

Should the occasion ever arise when the slush is of an exceedingly thinnature and does not contain many solid particles, then the vent opening12 may be plugged or closed by a suitable cap 15, so as to prevent theescape of any of the steam. As a general thing, however, in stonequarries where a key block has been cut and the slush device introducedthereto, tlie'slush is of a rather thick nature and to insure thesuccessful operation of the device it is neces- 'sary that the vent beopen to allow the escape of the steam.

While the invention is primarily designed for use in connection withstone quarries, its field of application is nevertheless unlimited andit is capable of use wherever an article of this kind may be needed.

Having descrlbed the parts of the invention, the operation may bebriefly recited as to follows:

The steam supply pipe 5 is coupled to the feed pipe 2 by means of thecoupling 4 and the device inserted within a body of slush. Steam or alike fluid pressure is then introduced to the ipe 2 under pressure,paming rapidly theret rough around the hooked end portion 6 and into theslush conduit 8. During the passage of the steam through the pipe 2 aportion thereof escapes through the small vent opening 6 and togetherwith the striking bar 14 thoroughly a itates and prevents a thickeningof the slush. The relatively thin slush is then picked up by the suctioncreated by the radially moving steam and carried in suspension in thesteam through the conduit 8 and discharge pipe 13 to a slush receiver orany other point of discharge. As has been pointed out, the restrictedopening in the end of the feed pipe 6 no causes the fluid current totravel at a very high velocity and creates a material suction at thefeed opening 10 disposed between the mouth of the slush discharge pipe 8and the end of the feed pipe 2. I

What ll claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a feed pipe throughwhich fluid under pressure passes and means for introducing the fluidthereto, said pipe having a ma curved lower edge and a restricteddischarge opening, a disharge conduit having its mouth located adjacentthe discharge opening inthe feed pipe and into which the fluid currentpassing through the feed pipe disn25 charges to create a suction at themouth of the discharge conduit, and means permitting a portion of thefluid current passing through the feed pipe to escape near the mouth ofthe discharge conduit to agitate nae meaeal the material around themouth of the conduit to prevent thickening thereof, and a striking barcarried by the discharge conduit and extending at right angles thereto.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a fluid feed pipehavin an opening therein, a discharge conduit having its mouth portionspaced from the discharge end of the feed pipe to form a feed inlet,discharging means in the feed pipe near the mouth piece of the dischargeconduit to permit the escape of a portion of the fluid passing throughthe feed pipe, and means carried by the device located in the path ofthe discharging fluid for deflecting the same to agitate materialadjacent the mouth piece.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a fluid feed pipehavin an opening therein, a discharge conduit having its mouth portionspaced from the discharge end of the feed pipe to form a feed inlet,discharging means in the feed pipe near the mouth piece of the dischargeconduit to permit the escape of a portion of the fluid passing throughthe feed pipe, and means carried by the device located in the path ofthe discharging fluid for deflecting the same to agitate materialadjacent the mouth piece, said means comprisin an outstanding elementcarried by the dischar e conduit.

In testimony whereof I a x my si ature.

GEORGE D. HUN ER.

